Fifty years ago today - March 1976.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

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Yet again, the past is knocking upon our doors and, like its servants, we have no recourse but to answer it.

I know nothing of The Assassin, other than that he's been hired to kill the Avengers.

But whom has hired him for that task?

It's one I've never read but I do know Conan must overcome warriors on crocodiles, in order to save the village of the Watambi.

Bêlit, meanwhile, gets herself kidnapped.

Did you know alligators are less closely related to crocodiles than people are to chimpanzees? This fact has nothing to do with anything but it's the sort of info you can astound your friends with. Especially the ones who like to ride around on crocodiles.

"The Assassin never fails!"

"Bullseye never misses!"

It's clearly a good month for over-confident villains.

I am quite intrigued that, on a cover which shows Daredevil about to be killed by Bullseye, the blurb declares, "Plus: A Startling New Job For Matt Murdock!" as though anyone not convinced to buy the comic by the threat of their hero's imminent demise would suddenly be moved to purchase it by the promise that he gets a new job.

I've not read this one but I'm assuming that, cured of being the Thing, Ben Grimm can only stand and watch, as Luke Cage takes his place in the team.

I'm assuming that because that's what it says on the cover.

I believe I detect a Berni Wrightson illustration. Is this the only time he ever did a Hulk cover?

Regardless, it's clear our hero takes on the Man-Thing, and that the Collector's involved.

I do believe the Glob also turns up in this tale - but not the one that's previously fought the Hulk.

You know how, on at least two previous occasions, Tony Stark's saved Happy Hogan's life by using his Enervator but it's turned Happy into the not-so-happy Freak?

Well, it's happened again.

You would've thought Tony would have learnt his lesson, by now.

I do believe this issue was drawn by Sal Buscema because Ross Andru was busy drawing the epic Superman vs Spider-Man tale that all 1970s comic fans knew they had to get their hands on.

But a thought does strike me. Is this the Sandman's first Spider-Man appearance since the original Sinister Six story, way back in the days of Steve Ditko?

If so, that seems remarkable, bearing in mind his status as one of Spidey's classic foes.

I believe Thor may still be tangling with the world-mangling menace of the Time Twisters.

"The Savage World of 1984!" I remember it well. Nik Kershaw on the pop charts. Give My Regards to Broad Street in the cinemas. Orville the Duck on TV. It was a living nightmare.

Anyway, it seems that, in the Royalist Forces base, Cap and Falc encounter someone called Cheer Chadwick who forces them to fight in an arena.

And, so, are the greatest heroes that Marvel can provide accounted for.

But it's not the only company with heroes. That in mind, let us take a look at a random sampling of what was occurring in DC's output which bore the same cover date.

It's looking like bad news for Wonder Woman.

And for the rest of the Justice League too, as no sooner is the amazing Amazon back than they have to deal with the terror-inducing nightmare of Nekron who, as far as I can remember, is an alien who can make even the bravest of heroes too scared to do anything.

I always like to see Deadman and the Phantom Stranger on the same cover together.

And that's exactly what I've got, thanks to the moody pencil of Jim Aparo.

As for what happens inside, I have little info, other than that the main tale's called A Time for Endings and the backup strip is Will the Real Black Orchid Please Stand Up?

I shall assume the latter yarn to be the one in which a bunch of female criminals convince an innocent woman they're all the Black Orchid, in order to trick her into doing something or other.

But what's this? The presence of a statement called Epilogue for the Phantom Stranger?

Can it be? Can truly be the last issue of this legendary comic?

Yes, it can. And all I can say is that, truly, there is no justice in the world.

Because it wouldn't be a month in the 1970s without the launch of a brand new comic, DC supplies us with issue #1 of Kobra!

And I know absolutely nothing about it, other than it would appear to feature two symbiotically-linked brothers. One a good guy and the other a villain. 

Maybe it's just me but this all sounds suspiciously similar to Marvel's legendary villain Gemini.

Regardless, it seems that Jack Kirby's heavily involved, in terms of both plot and art.

Another new book hits us between the eyes - and it's an outlet for those antagonist-stopping adolescents the Teen Titans!

As we might expect, from that cover, this is made up almost entirely of reprints from the 1950s and '60s.

Among its deathless content, we encounter such adventures as Monster Bait and Skis of Death! Not to mention the inclusion of a brand new article; Introducing the Teen Titans.

And, as seems compulsory in this era, we discover an instalment of Justice For All Includes Children, to make us rethink our attitude.

There may, as David Bowie insists, be a starman waiting in the sky but, right now, there's also one waiting in our comic shops.

And will he blow our minds?

That, I cannot say, as I've never read this issue but I do know he must face someone called Turran Kha who's been sent to execute him, which seems a little rude.

I've a feeling there may be some conceptual similarities, here, to the early days of Marvel's Captain Marvel strip.

I also know it's all brought to us by Gerry Conway and Mike Vosburg.